July 2026

 

Planning Michigan Conference

MBPP BBQ Summer Social


MAP Membership Meeting


old_hard_cover_books.jpg

Books, Webinars

Publications


jobs_and_careers.jpg

Job Postings

Greetings!

The Michigan Planner E-dition reinforces ideas and tools from the last Michigan Planner. Inside you will find much more information about data centers and artificial intelligence.


Planning Michigan 2026 Annual Conference is in Kalamazoo this year, September 30 to October 2. Full conference, Wednesday only, and Thursday only registrations available.


MAP Reads is … Reading Again!

Our first book is An Even Better Way to Zone: Achieving More Affordable, Equitable, and Sustainable Communities by conference keynote presenter, Donald Elliott, FAICP. Join us in Detroit on August 5 or Grand Rapids on August 6. Pizza will be served so register in advance!


The MAP Board is seeking nominations for an official to serve in an ex officio role on the MAP Board! Read on for details on how to self-nominate.


MAP is on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Stay informed with whatever platform(s) you prefer.


Read on and click often for more planning events and resources.

MICHIGAN PLANNER EXTRA


Click on the photo above to access the latest issue of the Michigan Planner. The May/June 2026 issue explored planning and zoning issues related to data centers and artificial intelligence.


Below are curated articles and resources on the topic of data centers and AI.


CALENDAR


Michigan Transportation Planning Conference

July 27-31

Port Huron


MAP Reads

August 5

Detroit, Grand Rapids


MAP Reads

August 6

Grand Rapids


MAP Membership Meeting

August 14

Waterford


MBPP BBQ Summer Social

August 20

Detroit


Planning Michigan Conference

September 30 - October 2

Kalamazoo


Transportation Bonanza 2027

February 10, 2027

East Lansing


Workshops for Planning and Zoning Officials

March 2027

In Person and Virtual

Data Center Resources

Noise


MAP is pleased that the firm, Memtech Acoustics, contributed an article for the MI Planner E-dition on the topic of noise and noise mitigation.


Data Center Noise Monitoring by Larson Davis


"Communities Are Raising Noise Pollution Concerns About Data Centers" by Miguel Yanez-Barnuevo, Environmental and Energy Study Institute, March 23, 2026


"AI data centers face increasing complaints about inaudible but 'felt' infrasound — citizens complain high- and low-frequency sounds do not register on decibel meters but cause adverse health effects" by Jowi Morales, tom's Hardware, May 10, 2026


"Global data center expansion and human health: A call for empirical research" by Yu Tao and Peng Gao, National Library of Medicine

Michigan


Data Centers in Michigan: Current State of Energy, Water, and Local Considerations by Brett Johnson April 28, 2026 


MEDC Summary of Michigan's Enterprise Data Center Sales and Use Tax Exemption


Data Centers in Michigan: Evaluation of Policy Controversies Regarding Hyperscale Data Center Development by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, June 16, 2026


Charting Michigan's Data Center Future Together, Frederick A. and Barbara M. Erb Institute, University of Michigan


Water, Other Issues, and Other States


The Future of Data Centers by the Brookings Institute


"Data Centers and Their Energy Consumption: Frequently Asked Questions" Congress.gov, Library of Congress, January 23, 2026


Data Center Water Leaks


"When the Decision Is Too Big for the City" by Charles Marohn, Strong Towns, May 11, 2026


Behind the Cloud: Planning for Data Centers, Planning Webcast Series


"The Data Center Water Problem is Soluble" by Robin Gaster, July 6, 2026, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

AI Resources


Click on the organization's image below for a unique article or resource.

MAP Board Membership Survey


A short survey was developed to help the MAP Board better understand member sentiment on various planning topics. The deadline for submissions is August 5.

Students are the Planners of the Future

Donate to the MAP Scholarship Funds


The Michigan Association of Planning takes seriously its commitment to students studying urban and regional planning in Michigan. They are the future of our profession, and we consider universities to be the first step of their professional journey; we want to be with them every step of the way.


MAP provides free student memberships, an Annual Student Conference (SMAP), and academic and conference scholarships. As a planning leader, we encourage you to invest in the future of our profession by donating to the Student Scholarship or Conference Scholarship fund. We welcome donations small and large.


Follow this link to learn more.


Call for Nominations! Elected and Appointed Officials Appointed Board Seat


The Michigan Association of Planning Board is seeking nominations for an official to serve in an ex officio role on the MAP Board! We are looking for elected and appointed leaders like planning commissioners, zoning board members, or city council or township board members to represent this very large cohort of MAP members. More than 3,000 of our 4,000 members are Chapter Only officials and we are committed to ensuring that the voice of officials is part of our deliberations.  


Appointed by the board, the position is a two year term with eligibility to serve 3 terms, for a total of 6 years. Eligible candidates include members in good standing who serve a municipality as an elected leader, or appointed officials like a planning commissioner or zoning board member. 


If you are interested in being considered for appointment to the MAP board as an ex officio non-voting position representing elected or appointed officials, please submit a one page letter of interest including why you wish to be appointed, why public service is important to you, and how you will bring the perspectives of elected or appointed leaders to board deliberations. Letters of interest are due by 5:00 p.m. July 24, 2026. Send via email to abrown@planningmi.org and contact Andrea Brown, MAP Executive Director if you have questions about the role.


Visit MAP's Board webpage to learn about board member responsibilities.


Safe Routes to School Training


The SRTS Regional Trainings offers the opportunity to connect, build relationships, and support SRTS stakeholders statewide. The hands-on sessions will help you build or sustain a SRTS project. Presentations include best practices and success stories from some of Michigan’s most innovative SRTS projects. Training is free and includes a light lunch. Registration is required as space is limited. 

Call for Sessions


Transportation Bonanaza 2027 will be held in East Lansing on February 10!


Save the date AND submit a session proposal.

Michigan Infrastructure Council’s Asset Management Champions Program


Scholarships are offered for this program, but the deadline is July 31. Details about the upcoming program here.


CEDAM Affordable Housing Forum

August 4 in Lansing


Annually, CEDAM, in partnership with MSHDA, equity investors, and developers, convene for a day-long training and discussion about MSHDA's LIHTC program, application expectations through the Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP), other MSHDA programs, the status of the equity markets, and other topics related to multi-family housing in Michigan. 

Schedule a MAP Workshop


Need training on a specific topic for your community? Or do you want to promote collaboration with nearby communities and cut costs?

 

Virtual, in person, and recorded workshops are available. See all of the details here.

Congratulations to this year's Planning Excellence Award Recipients!

Calling Cards

Firms listed provide a sponsorship contribution for this service, which helps defray the cost of publication. This does not constitute an endorsement of any firm by the Michigan Association of Planning.

 
Facebook  Linkedin  Instagram